Sunday, 12 December 2010

On rollerskates! So this was by no means the best Straight Arrows show I've seen, but I'm putting it down to the fact that they were all concentrating so hard on staying upright that it probably took a bit out of everything else, and I didn't think the sound was so great, and the audience didn't really dance at all which was a shame. It did get better towards the end though and they finished off with The World Ain't Round It's Square, a sweet sweet cover. Plus, they played a whole set on roller skates and nobody fell over, and to me that's kind of impressive enough for a night. If you don't have the album It's Happening by now you're stupid (say it stoopid, though).

(with Bed Wettin' Bad Boys and Bloodclot Faggots). New band to be excited about that is new, who play sweet '90s American-esque jangly tunes cross-pollinated with '80s sounding Flying Nun pop and do a fucking top notch cover of the Beach Boys' Wouldn't It Be Nice. Download their demo fo' free here: http://unityfloors.bandcamp.com/. How nice it is to be excited about a new band that is good amongst all the crap inspired by other crap.

Saturday, 11 December 2010

An all day/night festy put on by tenzenmen featuring a really versatile line-up of mostly Australian bands from all over the country, but also a couple from Japan (full line up here). The idea was that people shoot videos and submit them to the YouTube channel, and in turn receive $5 off (the $20) submission, with the result being a bunch of footage at the disposal of all the bands I guess. I'm not sure how much of a success that part was, but it was a fairly enjoyable day spread across two stages so there was always something going on. I was mostly there to see The Native Cats in what was their first Sydney appearance. They played all new stuff and all good stuff and I wish more people hung around to watch them so they'd come back soon and play their own show, but what do you do (come back anyway). I also caught Fag Panic of whom I was at first very sceptical (could have done without the 'wacky' outfits) but pretty soon warmed right up to their tropical pop jams. Though they look like a novelty band their songs were actually really good, substantial pop music. I don't know that it's something I'd listen to at home, but they got people in a banana suit and what I think was a snowpea suit to dance and that is awesome. These photos go: Fag Panic, Axxonn who seemed to be having a wonderful time with his synth (I didn't mind it either), The Holy Soul (who have supported and played with the likes of Can's Damo Suzuki but I wasn't all that impressed), and then the Native Cats. I kind of left wondering when Dirty Shirlows turned into a hippie-haven, though. So much incense was goin' on.

Friday, 3 December 2010

Superstar played for a really long time and I got bored after a while. I will not even mention Bum Creek because I'm so torn on their ludicrousness. Naked On the Vague were fresh off the heels of a European tour, and they were good, but I just can't help but think to the phenomenal show that they played at Flip Out Festival last year which set the bar so high and that they are yet to top. Holy Balm rule my life and your life if/when you see them live which you should do because we all want/need a tropical-jam-dance-party in our life. This was supposed to be their 7" launch but they never arrived on time (and I'm fairly sure that they still haven't arrived on our shores. C'mon though c'mon I want one of these guys so I can boogie really badly in my room). Also, Holy Balm killed it the week before this show at the Opera House for Screen Live #6, and before that supporting Boredoms. So you should probably vote for Holy Balm as 'Best Live Act' in the Mess+Noise 2010 Readers Poll, because I don't think they've ever disappointed (while you're there, put NOTV as one of your top 5 albums. Lick my shoe. Further instructions in next blog post. I promise it will be in colour and the photos might be better, or I could be lying, I have barely looked at them.).